Annie's POV:
For one terrible second, I thought he was going to defy his Alpha right here, right in front of me. His wolf was close to the surface. I could see it in the tension of his shoulders, the gold bleeding into the edges of his irises.
Then, slowly, he exhaled.
The gold receded. His fists unclenched. He took half a step back, and some of the suffocating pressure in the room eased.
"My apologies," Jasper said, and the words sounded like they cost him something. "I was... concerned."
Alexander studied him for a long moment, his expression unreadable. Then he gave a single, almost imperceptible nod.
"Understandable."
He turned to leave, and I thought that was the end of it. But at the doorway, he paused. His hand rested on the frame, his broad back filling the entrance, and he
